We just wrapped up our annual Christmas trip to the upper midwest, and I finished it up with the three icy rides below:
![Shell Lake Lake Ride](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/ride1-sm.jpg) |
Shell Lake Lake Ride |
Air temp: |
-10F (10 below zero) |
Distance: |
7.8 miles (it was cold!!!) |
This was my last ride in northwestern wisconsin, and it was also my last chance to really explore the frozen lake. It was plenty cold (-10F) cold enough to freeze your breath almost instantly. But unfortunately warmer temps and even light rain on Christmas left about an inch of water melted underneath a thin layer of top ice. I kept crashing through into the puddled water. No danger of crashing through into the lake b/c there was another layer of thick ice below that, but problematic enough with the temp -10F to shorten my ride. Still, for this Alabama boy – the novelty of riding a bike on a frozen lake never gets old! |
|
Northwest Green Bay ride |
Air temp: |
15F(and very windy) |
Distance: |
61.4 miles (very flat) |
This was my first ride in the Green Bay, Wisconsin area. I thoroughly enjoyed it although most of the ride was table-top flat. I could tell that if I had gone northwest away from the lake instead of towards the lake, it would have been a much hillier ride. But I really wanted to see Green Bay and see the ice flows and icebergs on the lake. I wasn’t disappointed – although my camera batteries were dead after only one picture. We drove out later to get a few pictures that I posted below. |
|
![La Porte, IN to New Buffalo, MI](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/ride3-sm.jpg) |
La Porte, IN to New Buffalo, MI |
Air temp: |
10F (10 above zero) |
Distance: |
36.9 miles (it was cold!!!) |
We spent New Year’s Eve with Kristine’s grandma in La Porte, IN which is just south of the Michigan border and southeast of Lake Michigan. I had a great mountain bike ride in the middle of a minor lake effect snowstorm. It was quite an experience and perfectly safe as the roads were snowy and not icy. Actually makes for pretty good traction on a mountain bike as long as you keep the tire pressure low. |
|
And here are all the photos from the three rides…
Ride #1 – Shell Lake, WI – 12/29/09
![-10F below = frosty beard](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/shelllake6.jpg?w=225)
![Crusty not quite stable ice](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/shelllake7.jpg?w=225)
![Scout Island](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/shelllake2.jpg?w=300)
![Ice fishing hut](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/shelllake3.jpg?w=300)
![MTB shadow](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/shelllake4.jpg?w=225)
![Snow mobiler](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/shelllake8.jpg?w=300)
![Snow mobile tracks](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/shelllake5.jpg?w=225)
Ride #2 – Northwestern Green Bay Area – 12/30/09
![Yachts parked out of the water for the winter](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/gb1.jpg?w=300)
![The juxtaposition of ice and open water in Green Bay (Lake Michigan)](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/gb3.jpg?w=300)
![Thick ice near the shore](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/gb2.jpg?w=300)
Ride #3 – La Porte, IN to New Buffalo, MI – 1/1/10
![Lake effect snow](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/laporte8.jpg?w=300)
![Parked my mountain bike here and hiked the rest of the way to the top of the sand dune](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/laporte6.jpg?w=225)
![The view from the top](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/laporte5.jpg?w=300)
![Snowy roads](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/laporte1.jpg?w=300)
![Frozen bottle](http://toonecycling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/laporte9.jpg?w=225)
Leave a Reply